Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 5/13/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-3 and 5-14 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1-3, 5, and 9-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over GRAVES (US 11125315; previously cited) in view of TSUCHIE (US 20140125162; previously cited).
Regarding claim 1, GRAVES discloses a motor (12A) comprising:
a rotor (117);
a stator that includes a stator core (116) and a coil (306, 308);
a housing (310) that houses the rotor (117) and the stator (116); and
a first annular member (first jet ring 120), wherein
the first annular member (120) has a plurality of first holes (312) that pass completely through the first annular member (120) in a thickness direction of the first annular member (120) (Fig. 3) and are configured to be passed through by a refrigerant (pressurized jets of oil 315), and
the first annular member (120) includes a first section in which at least two of the first holes (312) that are adjacent to each other are arranged in a circumferential direction of the first annular member (120) at a first interval (see Fig. 4B).
PNG
media_image1.png
451
711
media_image1.png
Greyscale
PNG
media_image2.png
602
575
media_image2.png
Greyscale
However, GRAVES does not disclose a second section in which at least two of the first holes that are adjacent to each other are arranged in the circumferential direction of the first annular member at a second interval that is larger than the first interval.
TSUCHIE discloses a motor with a plurality of first holes 76,78 arranged with a first section in which at least two of first holes 76,78 that are adjacent to each other are arranged in a circumferential direction of an annular member 24 at a first interval and a second section in which at least two of the first holes 78,78 that are adjacent to each other are arranged in the circumferential direction of the first annular member 24 at a second interval that is larger than the first interval. (see Fig. 1 and annotated Fig. 2, below).
PNG
media_image3.png
741
456
media_image3.png
Greyscale
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains to provide the end-winding of GRAVES with the second section in which at least two of the first holes that are adjacent to each other are arranged in the circumferential direction of the first annular member at a second interval that is larger than the first interval, similar to TSUCHIE.
PNG
media_image4.png
627
455
media_image4.png
Greyscale
A person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains would have been motivated to make such modification in order to “to increase the area of contact of the circumferential end face with the refrigerant” which “makes it easier for the refrigerant to spread over each of the axial end face and the circumferential end face, thereby making it possible to increase the area of contact with the refrigerant“ and “making it possible to effectively cool the uppermost coil” as taught by TSUCHIE (see para [0040] and [0053])
Regarding claim 2, GRAVES in view of TSUCHIE teaches the motor according to claim 1, wherein
TSUCHIE teaches the first holes are arranged asymmetrically with respect to a horizontal plane (X-Y) that passes through the axis of the stator core (22), and are arranged symmetrically with respect to a vertical plane (X-Z) that passes through the axis and that is orthogonal to the horizontal plane (Fig. 1 and 2).
Regarding claim 3, GRAVES in view of TSUCHIE teaches the motor according to claim 2, wherein
TSUCHIE teaches the first section is located above the second section in a vertical direction (Fig. 1 and 2).
Regarding claim 5, GRAVES in view of TSUCHIE teaches the motor according to claim 1, wherein:
GRAVES teaches the first coil end (306) includes a conductor member (end-windings, see Col 5, lines 35-67) disposed over a partial range in a circumferential direction of the first coil end (306).
Regarding claim 9, GRAVES in view of TSUCHIE teaches the motor according to claim 1, wherein
TSUCHIE teaches the first interval is 75 percent or less of the second interval (see annotated Fig. 2, above).
Regarding claim 10, GRAVES in view of TSUCHIE teaches the motor according to claim 1.
GRAVES teaches the first annular member 120 provides sealing between a first end surface of the stator core 116 in a direction of an axis of the stator core and an inner wall surface of the housing (Fig. 3), wherein the plurality of first holes 312 are configured to be passed through by the refrigerant that is injected toward a first coil end of the coil (Fig. 3), the first coil end protruding from the first end surface of the stator core (Fig. 3), and a second annular member (second jet ring 121) that provides sealing between a second end surface (302) of the stator core (116) and the inner wall surface of the housing (310), the second end surface (302) being located on an opposite side of the first end surface (300) of the stator core (116) in the direction of the axis of the stator core (116), wherein the second annular member (121) has a plurality of second holes (314) configured to be passed through by a refrigerant (second pressurized jet 317) that is injected toward a second coil end (308) of the coil, the second coil end protruding from the second end surface (302) of the stator core (116) (see Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 11, GRAVES in view of TSUCHIE teaches the motor according to claim 10, wherein
GRAVES teaches the second holes (314) are arranged in a circumferential direction of the second annular member (121) at regular intervals (see Fig. 4B, Fig. 5B).
Regarding claim 12, GRAVES in view of TSUCHIE teaches the motor according to claim 1,
GRAVES teaches the first annular member surrounds a periphery of the first coil end (Fig. 3), and
TSUCHIE teaches the first section and the second section are circumferentially continuous on the first annular member (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 13, GRAVES discloses a motor comprising:
a rotor 117;
a stator that includes a stator core 116 and a coil 306,308;
a housing 310 that houses the rotor and the stator; and
a first annular member 120, wherein the first annular member has a plurality of first holes 312 configured to be passed through by a refrigerant (pressurized jets of oil 315),
the first annular member surrounds a periphery of a first coil end of the coil (Fig. 3), and
the first annular member includes a first section in which at least two of the first holes that are adjacent to each other are arranged in a circumferential direction of the first annular member at a first interval (see Fig. 4B), and
However, GRAVES does not disclose a second section in which at least two of the first holes that are adjacent to each other are arranged in the circumferential direction of the first annular member at a second interval that is larger than the first interval.
TSUCHIE discloses a motor with a plurality of first holes 76,78 arranged with a first section in which at least two of first holes 76,78 that are adjacent to each other are arranged in a circumferential direction of an annular member 24 at a first interval and a second section in which at least two of the first holes 78,78 that are adjacent to each other are arranged in the circumferential direction of the first annular member 24 at a second interval that is larger than the first interval. (see Fig. 1 and annotated Fig. 2, below).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains to provide the end-winding of GRAVES with the second section in which at least two of the first holes that are adjacent to each other are arranged in the circumferential direction of the first annular member at a second interval that is larger than the first interval, similar to TSUCHIE.
A person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains would have been motivated to make such modification in order to “to increase the area of contact of the circumferential end face with the refrigerant” which “makes it easier for the refrigerant to spread over each of the axial end face and the circumferential end face, thereby making it possible to increase the area of contact with the refrigerant“ and “making it possible to effectively cool the uppermost coil” as taught by TSUCHIE (see para [0040] and [0053])
Regarding claim 14, GRAVES discloses a motor comprising:
a rotor 117;
a stator that includes a stator core 116 and a coil 306,308;
a housing 310 that houses the rotor and the stator; and
a first annular member 120, wherein the first annular member has a plurality of first holes 312 configured to be passed through by a refrigerant (pressurized jets of oil 315), and
the first annular member includes a first section in which at least two of the first holes that are adjacent to each other are arranged in a circumferential direction of the first annular member at a first interval (see Fig. 4B),
However, GRAVES does not disclose a second section in which at least two of the first holes that are adjacent to each other are arranged in the circumferential direction of the first annular member at a second interval that is larger than the first interval, and the first section and the second section are circumferentially continuous on the first annular member.
TSUCHIE discloses a motor with a plurality of first holes 76,78 arranged with a first section in which at least two of first holes 76,78 that are adjacent to each other are arranged in a circumferential direction of an annular member 24 at a first interval and a second section in which at least two of the first holes 78,78 that are adjacent to each other are arranged in the circumferential direction of the first annular member 24 at a second interval that is larger than the first interval and the first section and the second section are circumferentially continuous on the first annular member. (see Fig. 1 and annotated Fig. 2, below).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains to provide the end-winding of GRAVES with the second section in which at least two of the first holes that are adjacent to each other are arranged in the circumferential direction of the first annular member at a second interval that is larger than the first interval and the first section and the second section are circumferentially continuous on the first annular member, similar to TSUCHIE.
A person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains would have been motivated to make such modification in order to “to increase the area of contact of the circumferential end face with the refrigerant” which “makes it easier for the refrigerant to spread over each of the axial end face and the circumferential end face, thereby making it possible to increase the area of contact with the refrigerant“ and “making it possible to effectively cool the uppermost coil” as taught by TSUCHIE (see para [0040] and [0053])
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over GRAVES in view of TSUCHIE and further in view of ITO (US 20230063496).
Regarding claim 6, GRAVES in view of TSUCHIE teaches the motor according to claim 5, as discussed above.
The instant specification discloses “The neutral point connecting member 364 is a member that connects the other ends of the respective phase coils. That is, the neutral point connecting member 364 is a member including a neutral point of the coil 22.” See para [0044]. To the extent that this should be considered a definition of the term ‘neutral point connecting member’, GRAVES in view of TSUCHIE does not teach the conductor member includes a neutral point connecting member that includes a neutral point of the coil.
ITO discloses a motor with a stator (3) and a cooling port (23) with a conductor member (31) that includes a neutral point connecting member (bridging portion 36b) that includes a neutral point of the coil (see paragraphs [0092-0095] and Fig. 17).
PNG
media_image5.png
406
343
media_image5.png
Greyscale
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains to provide the end-winding of GRAVES in the form of the neutral point connecting member of ITO, as part of a 3-phase coil coupled by mutually connecting segment coils.
A person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains would have been motivated to make such modification in order to increase protrusion height of the coil and to ensure the coil ends are cooled and cooling performance is increased. (See ITO para [0008] and [0099].)
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over GRAVES in view of TSUCHIE and further in view of PURMAN (US 3805101).
Regarding claim 7, GRAVES in view of TSUCHIE teaches the motor according to claim 5, as discussed above.
However, GRAVES in view of TSUCHIE does not teach the conductor member includes a plurality of power lines that protrudes in the direction of the axis of the stator core from the first coil end.
PURMAN discloses a motor with a stator (48) and a conductor member (54) that includes a plurality of power lines (53) that protrudes in the direction of the axis of the stator core (at least partially; see Fig. 1) from a first coil end.
PNG
media_image6.png
490
701
media_image6.png
Greyscale
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains to provide the end-winding of GRAVES in view of TSUCHIE with power lines that protrudes in the direction of the axis of the stator core from a first coil end, similar to those of PURMAN.
A person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains would have been motivated to make such modification in order to provide current to the windings and from an external power source for effectuating electro-mechanical energy conversion as taught by PURMAN (see col. 2, lines 49-61).
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over GRAVES in view of TSUCHIE and further in view of KONAKA (US 20210126499).
Regarding claim 8, GRAVES in view of TSUCHIE teaches the motor (according to claim 1, as discussed above, and further wherein the first coil end (306) includes a first region and a second region.
However, GRAVES in view of TSUCHIE does not teach a space factor of the coil in the second region is lower than a space factor of the coil in the first region
KONAKA discloses a motor with a cooling jacket (16) and a coil winding (11) with a first region (outside a slot of the stator core) and a second region (in a slot of the stator core) wherein a space factor of the coil in the second region is lower than a space factor of the coil in the first region (see para [0012]).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains to provide the end-winding of GRAVES in view of TSUCHIE with a space factor of the coil in the second region is lower than a space factor of the coil in the first region, similar to that of KONAKA; and the specific region of GRAVES (any region as described with respect to claim 4, above) includes at least a part of the first region.
A person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains would have been motivated to make such modification in order to avoid reduced performance and cooling efficiency of the electric motor as taught by KONAKA (see para [0012]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US-20180138787-A1 YAMAGISHI discloses varying the intervals between holes which pass through a part-annular member; US-20250226719-A1 Sudhahar (pub. 2025-07-10) discloses varying the intervals between holes which pass through an annular member; JP-2013066348-A KIKUCHI discloses varying the intervals between holes which pass through an annular member ; WO-2024202080-A1 SONODA (pub. 2024-10-03) discloses varying the intervals between holes which pass through an annular member.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JUSTIN STEFANON whose telephone number is (703)756-4648. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday and alternate Fridays 8AM - 5PM EDT.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Oluseye Iwarere can be reached at (571) 270-5112. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/JUSTIN STEFANON/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/OLUSEYE IWARERE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834
Prosecution Insights